HSUS Victories Last Year. 10 Myths about Cats.

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Don’t Believe It! Exposing 10 Common Myths about Cats

A lot of ancient "wisdom" about felines isn't so wise after all.
Some of it is just plain silly – and some is downright dangerous.

Sources:  Shine from Yahoo.com, June 22, 2010

Dr. Becker's Comments:
"The following are ten urban legends about our kitty companions that deserve debunking:

Myth: Cats always land on their feet.
Fact: Cats don't have collarbones, their backbones are very flexible, and they are extremely graceful animals. This may have led to the old wives tale that they always land on their feet. However, the way your kitty is constructed is no guarantee he won't be harmed in a fall.

Myth: You should give your cat cow's milk.
Fact: Adults of any species typically have trouble digesting the milk of another species – and that includes cats. Like humans, many cats are also lactose intolerant, and cow's milk offers no nutritional value to your kitty.

Myth: All cats hate water.
Fact: Many cats are intensely curious about the wet stuff and love moving water – a sink faucet, a water fountain for drinking, a running shower, even a flushing toilet.

Myth: Dry cat food (kibble) is best for cats because it helps clean their teeth.
Fact: Crunchy food isn't any better at brushing and flossing your kitty's teeth than it is yours. From a nutritional standpoint, dry food is the worst thing you can feed your cat – it is devoid of both the healthful, unadulterated protein and moisture cats need in order to stay healthy.

Myth: Cats that live indoors don't get sick or need to see the veterinarian regularly.
Fact: While it's true indoor living is much safer and healthier for domesticated kitties, they still need regular wellness visits to a holistic or integrative veterinarian. And no matter where your cat spends her time, if she's not eating a species-appropriate, nutritionally balanced diet, she's at risk for poor health. An annual physical examination and blood work to detect early organ dysfunction is priceless, in terms of being a proactive pet owner.

Myth: If you have a cat at home with an infant, the cat will be attracted to the scent of milk and can suck the air from the baby's mouth, suffocating it.
Fact: There is absolutely no evidence cats are attracted to an infant's breath, nor has there ever been a case where a cat has suffocated an infant in this manner. If you find your cat snoozing with your baby, it's because kitties like to snuggle up against warm bodies, especially in quiet, darkened rooms – which nurseries often are. Sometimes fat cats are bigger than tiny infants, hence the recommendation to keep the cat out of the nursery.

Myth: Declawing is just a permanent nail trim.
Fact: Declawing is the surgical amputation of the first joint of each of a cat's toes, and is increasingly viewed as inhumane and a form of mutilation.

Myth: Cats thrive on a vegetarian diet.
Fact: Cats are obligate carnivores, designed by nature to require animal protein. In fact, human-grade, unprocessed protein and moisture (water) should make up the bulk of your kitty's diet. Regardless of your own feelings about eating meat, please don't compromise your cat's health by feeding him a vegan or vegetarian diet.

Myth: Cats are cold and aloof. If you want a loving, loyal pet, get a dog.
Fact: Many cats are very loving. Cats are not dogs, so other than having four legs, a tail and fur like their canine counterparts, they are very different animals and comparisons don't make much sense. Dogs are by nature pack animals, while kitties are more independent. But cats that enjoy the same status in the family as dogs are often just as loving, attentive and present as their canine buddies.

Myth: Cats have nine lives.

Fact: Utter nonsense! Cats are smart, so it may appear they are "luckier" than dogs.

          Myth: All calico cats are female 

          Fact: I grew up with a calico, and I actually thought this one was true – until I did a little research and discovered I was wrong. It actually has to do with a genetic anomaly.   Female cats carry two X chromosomes, while males carry an XY pair. For a cat to be calico, it needs the XX set, which means – most of the time – they’re female. But sometimes a genetic mutation can add extra Y – and an XXY set means a male cat. These rarities are called Klinefelter cats, and they are usually sterile."

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Today:

We were supposed to be taking today off to catch up on things.
 
But when I went outside, Ray was trying to install another new keyed lock on his patio door, that I had just bought.  It just wasn't fitting.  He is still having lock trouble with the new patio door of the guest house that we installed back in June.  So Ray and I went to Lowes in the next town to see what they thought about it.  We took the new lock, and the one off the old door with us.   We have tried about 6 locks so far.  We came back with no more information that when we left.   When I got home, I finally contacted the manufacturer of the door, and they are supposed to be sending a new lock.

That just about killed my time off today.

Your Clicks Counted Last Year. Fishing. Clever Bird. Sick Cats.

Your clicks and purchases help provide food and care for rescued animals in shelters and sanctuaries.
Click to Give--FREE   |   Shop Our Store & Give More   |   Send an E-card   |   Animals In The News

Your choice to donate, click and shop at The Animal Rescue Site is being felt all over the world.

You helped support animal rescue efforts in Haiti by giving over $237,000 following the deadly earthquake that struck in January, as well as over $130,000 to aid animals in the Gulf states of the U.S. where they struggled to survive the effects of the worst oil spill in this country's history.

You helped vaccinate nearly 200,000 dogs and cats, and funded the spaying or neutering of 2,350 animals through your support of Petfinder.com Foundation. North Shore Animal League America reports that it was able to help 16,000 animals with funds generated by our supporters in fiscal year 2009/2010. And, you helped fund the care and feeding of 762 horses and 120 rabbits through donations to the Fund for Animals.
On behalf of all the animals and rescue groups you are aiding around the globe, and from all of us here at The Animal Rescue Site, we thank you for your continued support. From: http://www.greatergood.com/emails/2010/EOYletter-122910-ARS-w.html
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Your clicks and purchases preserve endangered forest habitat around the world.
Click to Give--FREE  |   Shop Our Store & Give More  |   Send an E-card
Your choice to donate, click and shop at The Rainforest Site is being felt all over the world.

You helped clean and rehabilitate turtles affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and provided tracking tags to keep tabs on the released turtles. You planted over 200,000 trees in rural areas such as the Peruvian city of Ica and throughout the United Kingdom, and protected over 7,000 acres of vital forestland in Colombia's Magdalena Valley that was under the dire threat of deforestation. From: http://www.greatergood.com/emails/2010/EOYletter-122910-TRS-w.html
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Today:

Jay and Ray worked inside and outside of the cargo trailer on the running lights.  Ray removed each one on the outside and Jay made sure there was enough wire on the inside to let him do that. Some side lights were almost impossible to to move, the wires were so short.  I wanted them to do that before all the paneling was put up, in case of future repairs.  While Ray had the lights off, he re-installed them with new butyl putty tape.  This should be done to all RVs every few years anyway.  Clearance and running lights are one of the main sources of leaks, and they get overlooked very often.

Not a very nice subject, but a lesson learned.    While this was going on outside, I was busy in the grooming room.  One of the foster cats had upchucked her breakfast, this was a first.  So I spring cleaned the whole area.  Then a little while later Bobcat upchucked her breakfast in my bathroom.  The cats are on different diets, and hardly ever meet each other, so I had to try to pinpoint the cause.
The only thing that they had in common was their water.  I had just put a new filter in the Brita jug for their filtered water.  I looked at the plastic wrap the filter comes in, and it had a slit in it, so some germ must have got in there.  They will have to drink our very hard and chlorinated tap water, until I can buy another filter.

Tonight it will be in the mid 20's, so I also had to go around getting ready for that today.

New Year's Resolutions for you & your dog. New Year's Day Is Most Active For Thieves. One Year. 200 Countries, 200 years. Cargo Trailer

New Year's Resolution ideas for you & your dog

"Still need to make a New Year's resolution? How about one that benefits your dog and is easier than losing 15 pounds?

Take your pick of these Fido friendly suggestions:

1. Mark your yearly calendar right now. Pick out 1 new location you will visit with your dog each month. The "new-ness" of each experience will make it fun for you and your dog. Plus, you will re-discover cool things to do and places to visit in your area.

2. Do some research on your dog's food. Are you feeding a quality diet? Is there something that might be a better health alternative for your furry friend? Check out this independent website for a comparison of what you currently feed and what is available. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/


3. Teach your dog something new. It only take a few minutes per day to teach your dog a useful skill or cute trick. Each day as you wait for the coffee to brew or the shower to heat up, work with Fluffy to learn a new trick. It doesn't have to be fancy, something as simple as shake or sit pretty helps build a bond between you and your dog. The added bonus is that mental stimulation helps prevent boredom. A dog that has things to do stays out of mischief!


4. Resolve to give your dog a once over check up, one time per week. A thorough look at teeth, ears, eyes, coat and skin each week keeps your pet in good shape. Any signs of infection or illness will be caught early on, saving you a possible emergency room trip and saving your pet from undo pain or discomfort.

5. Walk the dog more. Alright this one might be a disguise for losing the 15 pounds...but seriously your dog will be so much more content and better behaved. A tired dog is a good dog!
Woof!"   From: That's My Dog!
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"How To Screw Up A Car Thief's Day

New Year's Day Is Most Active For Thieves

It takes less time for a professional thief to break into your car, start it up and drive away as it does for you to walk into 7-11, plunk down three bucks for a bagel and coffee and emerge to watch your ride recede into the distance. And don't presume your elderly clunker's immune; the most stolen vehicle of 2008, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, was the 1994 Honda Accord.

"We know that thieves never miss an opportunity to make a quick buck by stealing a car," says Joe Wehrle, president and CEO of NICB. "They work weekends, nights and holidays and ironically, they are particularly busy on New Year's Day and Labor Day."
While there isn't any way to stop a crook who really wants your ride and has the tools and know-how to make it happen, the following tips can help your car become a less inviting target and slow down, discourage or actually prevent car theft.

Holiday Car Thefts 
Number of Thefts: New Year's Day = 3,017,   Labor Day = 2,847,  Halloween = 2,727,  President's Day = 2,683, Memorial Day = 2,599.   Independence Day = 2,584.  Valentine's Day = 2,389.  Christmas Eve = 1,841. Thanksgiving = 1,806.  Christmas Day = 1,267.  New Year's Eve = 916
The holidays ranked by number of thefts reported to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) for 2008.


Park in plain sight

Our natural inclination is to hide something we don't want anyone to steal, but for cars, visibility is the key to safety, say experts. Thieves prefer to work out of sight of people and electronic recording devices, so leave your car in a well-lit, populated area.

Take your keys---always.
If you think this tip falls into the "duh" section of car theft prevention, try Googling the phrase "keys in ignition" or similar and you'll see many trusting souls leave the equivalent of a sign reading "FREE CAR!" hanging from their ignition switches on a daily basis. Car theft is often a crime of opportunity, so shut yours off and pocket your keys even if you're only ducking into a convenience store.

Don't hide your keys anywhere within or outside the car.
You know those magnetic key holders you can buy to store your spare key? Leave it in your house on the fridge, not under bumpers, in the glove compartment or anywhere in the car. Thieves know all the hiding places you do, and probably a few more.

Use a variety of methods to slow would-be thieves.
Car alarms are ubiquitous and often go ignored. When used in tandem with other theft prevention methods, though, they will make a thief naturally try to work faster, and if he comes across other security measures, he may give up altogether and move on. Apply the emergency brake, turn your wheels hard left or right and set the car in "park" or in gear, making it more difficult for you to be quickly towed, and consider using a vehicle recovery system like LoJack or an engine immobilizer device such as Ravelco.


Disable your battery if parking long-term
A thief won't spend time trying to diagnose an apparent engine problem. Consider yanking one of the cable wires to your battery if you're leaving your car parked at an airport or anywhere else where it will sit unattended for more than a few days.

Sign valuable parts
Take the time to embed your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the inside of your trunk, inside your doors, on your sound system components and any other pricey parts thieves like to chop. If you don't feel like doing it yourself, contact your local police precinct or even your insurance company, some of whom offer free VIN etchings.

Go east
California is the number one state for auto theft, according to the National Insurance Crime bureau, with the town of Modesto ranking #1 with 4,235 vehicles stolen in 2008.

The good news for all of us is that auto thefts were down almost 9% overall in 2008, according to the NICB, to less than one million a year in 2008. With foresight and preventive measures that don't take much time, you can help ensure you'll never have to experience that unique nausea familiar to anyone finding a grease spot where their car was parked."

From:  http://cars2.knoxnews.com/2010/12/31/836/How_To_Screw_Up_A_Car_Thief_s_Day.html

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Watch the seasons fly by:

  

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Statistics come to life as Swedish academic superstar Hans Rosling
graphically illustrates global development over the last 200 years.

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Today:

Ray vacuumed the cargo trailer floor thoroughly, while I drove down to get Jay. 
Ray and Jay took a bath tub that I have for sale, to the 'wash rack', as someone is supposed to come to see it today.  Ray was cleaning it, and getting some old caulk off it.   It is the tub that we took out of the 1947 Westcraft Coronado travel trailer.  The buyer wanted a shower in it.

Jay and I laid out the cut lino, (that's sheet vinyl in Brit), rolled half of it back, and started 'buttering' half the trailer floor with lino mastic.  Then we smoothed out that half onto the troweled mastic.   As it is such a small area, and as we didn't have a 75 lb lino roller, we used my rolling pin to smooth it out, trying to apply 75 lb pressure.  Then we folded back the other unstuck half, applied the mastic, and as soon as it was ready, we smoothed it over the mastic, and 'rolling pinned' it.













We knew that the remnant of lino wasn't quite the size we needed, and so I lined up the pattern for the end that will be covered by built-ins, and we glued it in place. This is the lino we cut out for the wheel wells.

Ray will put seam sealer on the seams once it is done.  He is better at fiddly jobs that Jay.
 
We also knew that there wouldn't quite be enough lino, and that we would also have to fit some of the remnant of my house lino in other places, like under the water tank, which will be under the kitchen counter.  It is the same color, but it is just that the color of the lines and squares is reversed. 
I wanted the water tank there, as it will be on the tongue end to help with balance. Years ago when they put water tanks in the rear, it contributed to trailer sway and bent frames.

I like our normal TX winters, we have lovely days for outside work, so we can put up with some 'inside work' cold days.
 
As that is the best minimum temperature for the mastic, we checked that we were working in at least 65 deg., today.